


Sparks and Embers

by Liara_90



Series: A Home of Sticks [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Camping, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Developing Relationship, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Pre-Canon, Team STRQ - Freeform, Tumblr Prompt, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 12:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16429514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liara_90/pseuds/Liara_90
Summary: It's the middle of the night, and Taiyang is the only one up, keeping watch, and watching the fire. And then someone decides to join him.This can be read as a stand-alone, or as part of the series.





	Sparks and Embers

**Author's Note:**

> The original prompt for this was “ _Gritty eyes when you stare into fire too long_ ” with Raven and Taiyang. I’m generally not great with prompts or drabbles, but this one I liked enough. You can find the original version on Tumblr [here](http://pvoberstein.tumblr.com/post/179488181753/heyo-if-youre-still-doing-the-prompt-thing-can).

* * *

He wasn’t supposed to stare into the fire, he knew. It absolutely ruined your night vision, and the whole reason he was awake was to keep an eye open for any wayward Grimm. But this was the third day of their trek and they hadn’t come across so much as an Ursa, so the imminent fear of attack that had kept Taiyang up so many nights was absent. Instead he just sat, hunched over on a log with a blanket draped over his shoulders, staring unblinkingly into the firepit of their campsite.

Something hit him in the back of the head.

“ _Whack_ ,” Raven Branwen said, the palm of her hand gently slapping Tai’s skull. “You’re dead.”

Tai barely reacted to the surprise attack, only shuffling slightly on the log. Raven took a seat beside him, the hilt of her katana _thunking_ awkwardly against the fallen tree.

“Is it time for your shift?” Tai asked, his eyes still falling on the flames. He’d completely lost track of time, knowing only that sunset had been many hours ago and sunrise was many hours yet.

“Nah,” Raven replied, picking up a small pebble from the ground and flicking it into the fire. Tai blinked, trying to track the stone amidst the flames. “Couldn’t sleep.” 

Tai nodded, rubbing the days-old stubble on his face. Insomnia seemed to be plaguing Raven more and more as of late. “Not a problem for those two, is it?” he replied, nodding vaguely in the direction of their tents.

Raven left out a soft snort. “At least Rose wakes up when it’s her watch,” she answered. “Qrow sleeps like the dead.”

“Yeah…” Tai’s mind wandered off, once again captured by the flickering flames.

“ _Hey_.” Raven jabbed him in the arm with a pointed finger. “Go grab some sleep. I’ll finish your watch.”

Tai perked up a little at that. “You sure?”

Raven shoved his arm a little harder. “Of course I am. _Go_. Your dozing off is going to get us all killed.”

Taiyang nodded in meek agreement, but for a long minute he didn’t move. When he finally did, it wasn’t to stand up and shuffle back to his sleeping bag, though. Instead, he just slid forward and off the log, leaning back into it. Bits of bark dug into his skin, but he was too fatigued to care.

Clutching the blanket a little closer, Tai let his eyelids begin to drift shut, allowed the weariness he’d barely kept at bay to finally overwhelm him, lulled to sleep by the gentle crackling of the fire.

The last thing he remembered was the feeling of Raven’s fingers, combing through his hair.


End file.
